Armani Ristorante

Dubai is certainly full of firsts: Gordon Ramsay opened his first restaurant outside of the UK here with Verre, and Giorgio Armani chose the city as the first place to launch an Armani-branded hotel. Located within the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the hotel boasts a number of restaurants at the same level of quality as an Armani suit. Homemade pasta and bruschetta are par for the course, but where this eatery really excels is in its desserts, with each course as memorable in presentation as it is for taste -- just as you would expect from the man who inspires it all.

Signature dish: The nougat semifreddo. Sandwiched between thin sheets of white chocolate, stood up on its side, with a hole through the middle and a raspberry balanced on top is typical of the presentation here.